(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)
25 Years Ago— April 20, 1998
The Globe did an enterprise piece of Wayland Union Schools’ Saturday School program for habitual offenders.
A U.S.-131 construction project south of Martin is causing traffic problems.
Martin’s Josh Hildebrand, age 13, has earned a national championship at 119 pounds in wrestling.
The U.S.-131 overpass at the Wayland exit soon will expand to three lanes.
The Yankee Springs Township Planning Commission has recommended approval of the Vanderslik residential development on Parker Drive.
The Yankee Springs Meadows Neighborhood Watch organization has been launched to keep an eye out for trouble.
U.S. Senator Spencer Abraham of Michigan was featured in a guest editorial in which he was quoted as insisting “It’s time to renew the war on drugs.”
The Wayland Township Board is wrangling with road funding issues and a special road committee has been established. Editor Nila Aamoth pointed out Wayland Township is one of the few local municipalities operating without any road millage.
Ground was broken on the new site on West Superior Street for the United Bank.Included in the photo with shovels were Vice Presidents Lisa Wenzel and Bonnie Miller, President Arthur Johnson and City manager Barbara VanDuren.
The City of Wayland will have its annual Mayor Exchange Day with Roosevelt Park.
Susan Prime, executive director of the Family Planning Association of Allegan County, has reported, “Teen mothers are more likely to have a daughter who will get pregnant as a teen andand to have a son who goes to prison.”
Wayland Board of Education members Roxie Muczynski and Mike Browand have decided not to seek re-election and four candidates, Rick Cain, Roger VanVolkinburg, Perry Slagter and Mike Permoda have announced they are running.
Dawn Buist and Cynthia Lowman are the only candidates for school board in Hopkins.
Martin Board President Roger Evans has decided against running again, serving since 1978, leaving two candidates, Barb Keyzer and Roxanne Orr as the only candidates, unopposed.
The Wayland varsity softball team is off to a 7-0 start, thanks to stellar pitching from senior Amanda Dzierzyc and freshman Amber Willison. A high-powered offense is led by Nicki Merchant, freshman Jessie Merchant and Candi Bala.
The Wildcat girls’ track team opened with an impressive 97-36 dual meet victory over Forest Hills Northern. Distance star Jason Moore swept the 800, 1600 and 3200, but the Wayland boys lost 74-63.
City of Wayland officials are thinking about purchasing 85 acres of land on the northeast section of town to expand the sewer lagoons.
50 Years Ago — April 17, 1973
Margie Johnson was named valedictorian and Ed Brewer salutatorian for the Class of 1973 at Martin High School.
Voters soundly rejected a proposal for the City of Wayland to annex a portion of Leighton Township to establish sewer lagoons by a count of 331 to 34. The matter cannot come up for a vote again for another two years.
Some City of Wayland residents complained at a City Council meeting about problems in the wake of installation of the sanitary sewer system by Williams & Works of Grand Rapids.
Aquinas College student Mary Hooker brought two college friends, Marycane Crug of the Philippines and Jahir Escobar to entertain the Wayland Rotary Club with music and dancing.
Darlene Leonardson and Florence DeYoung are members of the Metropolitan Choir of Praise, which returned recently from a tour of the Netherlands.
Delbert Farnsworth was a cast member of the “The Gingerbread Lady,” a Neil Simon play, at a contest in Muskegon.
Senior southpaw Conrad Mauchmar fired a three-hit, 13-strikeout performance at Otsego in an 8-1 victory for the Wayland baseball team.
Hopkins varsity basketball and baseball coach Mark Austin proposed an idea to have the players of each team in a conference vote for all-league selections, rather than by coaches. He maintained it would be like choosing an all-opponent team.
Louis Stein crafted a one-hit shutout in a 3-0 victory for Hopkins over Caledonia. The Vikings, however, lost a slugfest to Middleville, despite a grand slam homer by Pete Arnsman.
Paul Henderson won the high jump, the 440 and teamed up with Doug Pierce, Dave Oetman and Dan McGuire to won the mile relay in Martin’s season-opening track dual meet victory over Bloomingdale.
The Detroit Free Press awarded certificates of merit to Michael Cline and John Linder for their efforts in debate during the season statewide.
Wayland Supt. James Thomas told the Board of Education that Hopkins Township has rezoned the former property the school district considered for a new high school from agricultural to industrial.
Ralph C. Damon, former owner of the Avalon Bar, Gun Lake, died at Pennock Hospital. He was 65.
Tony Orlando & Dawn took over the No. 1 slot among the nation’s tunes with “Tie a Yellow Ribbon.”
75 Years Ago — April 23, 1948
Frederic Hilbert took a hatful of cow bells from the “Cow Town of Michigan” and passed them around at a meeting of the Michigan United Conservation Club meeting in Kalamazoo.
A power shovel and a group of men began work on excavating for the basement of the building Harold Hawkins will erect between the A & P Grocery and Hanlon Drug Store. It will be occupied by Van’s Gas & Electric Co.
The Methodist Men have scheduled the “feed bag” father-son banquet for April 28 and a barbershop quartet will perform at the church dining room.
Mrs. Edith Ward, born in Ohio in 1868 and who came to Wayland 35 years ago, died at the Hassel Nurning Home in Grand Rapids.
Gene Weber played two flute solos to entertain the Ladies Library Club, which rlected Joanna Kinney president.
Miss Mary Lee Hurt, advisor to the Michigan State College chapter of Future Homemakers of America, will be guest speaker for the mother-daughter banquet in the high school cafeteria Friday evening, April 23. Bessie B. Baker will be presented with the group’s first-ever honorary degree.
St. Stanislaus Parish will have a ham dinner Saturday evening, May 1, with proceeds going to a building fund for erection of a new school and social hall.
Edward VanDenBerg of Gun Lake has opened a mower blade sharpening business in Wayland.
A benefit dance is planned for Saturday evening, April 24, for the Gun Lake Robbins baseball club at the Gun Lake Catholic Church Hall. Music will be provided by Steve Kaczanowski and his orchestra.
Hopkins High School seniors will present the play “Springtime for Patsy” April 29 and 30 at the high school auditorium.
Mrs. John Rawlinson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Kinney, has been ill with an infection in Liberia on the African continent. The Firestone Rubber Co. chartered a medical specialist to visit and tend to her.
Miss Fannie Hoyt was hostess for a meeting of the Allegan County Librarian Association, and he served the luncheon. She also conducted a tour of the Pet Milk plant.
Wayland Grange meetings, starting in May, will be held on the first and third Fridays of each month for the advantage of people who have small children.
The Wayland Fire Department was summoned to a grass fire that got uncomfortably close to the house at the Cosbohn farm two miles southwest of town.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
• William Elliott and Catherine McLeod in “The Fabulous Texan.”
• Robert Young, Maureen O’Hara and Clifton Webb in “Sitting Pretty.”
• Dick Powell and Signe Hasso, and introducing the Chinese actress, Maylia, in “To the Ends of the Earth.”
100 Years Ago — April 20, 1923
Mrs. Tirzah Newton Jerome, a pioneer resident of Wayland who came here in 1867, died April 13 at the home of her eldest son, Frank Jerome, in Memphis, Tenn. Born in Big Prairie, Mich., she was 5 years old when she arrived in Wayland. She was a member of the Anti-Can’t Club, Rebekah Lodge, Ladies Library Club, Order of Eastern Star and Women’s Christian Temperance Union.
Malinda Bogart, 79, died at her home in Wayland April 13. “She was a loving mother and will be missed by all. She also was a good Christian and died in the Methodist faith.”
Thomas Meighan, athletic Paramount star, will portray a sailor in “Cappy Ricks” next Saturday and Sunday at the Regent Theatre downtown.
The Wayland High School Home Economics Club bought six complete sets of silver knives, forks and spoons from L.B. Mason for kitchen equipment.
Harriet M. Morton, who settled east of Wayland with her husband in 1865, died Saturday, April 14. She was 83.
Harry Tuttle of Ohio Corners suffered injuries when a falling limb struck him in his right arm.
Henry Kamp, who operated the Kraft Farm in Hopkins, died in a Grand Rapids hospital of a brain abscess. “He was a robust young man and was highly respected in the community.”
The E.S. Allen Store in Bradley is having a “Bankrupt Sale” for seven days, after having bough a large stock of dry goods, notions and lady’s and children’s ready to wear garments in bankruptcy court.
“County Line” church and Sunday school will begin offering services at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22, and at 3 p.m.
Miss Rose Thede has begun teaching at Otsego schools. She will finish this semester and resume duties there next fall.